The present invention relates generally to the field of Electronic Music Distribution.
Electronic Music Distribution (EMD), wherein music stored as digital files is downloadable by end users from retail computer databases or from Peer to Peer xe2x80x9cfile sharingxe2x80x9d databases such as Napster, has developed rapidly in the recent past as an alternative to the traditional distribution channels for recorded music. While EMD holds great promise as a distribution vehicle, certain limitations exist with regard to the capability of existing distribution models to classify or characterize the audio quality of the files available for download. This limitation is particularly acute in the Peer to Peer context where the downloadable database consists of files from a multiplicity of sources.
In a Peer-to-Peer distribution model such as that used by Napster, for example, the database comprises digital music files submitted by database users and is searchable by song title, group, artist and genre. Each successful search yields at least one result and in most instances, several results for the same song or search request. Each data file corresponding to a song listing is detailed with certain attributes such as Frequency and Bitrate for example.
Frequency and file size are measures of how long it will take to download a specific audio file. The Frequency of an audio file corresponds to the number of sound samples per second in the archived audio file. The bitrate is a loose measure of the sound quality for the subject file wherein files with higher bitrate values have better sound quality overall.
Since the audio files in Peer-to-Peer file sharing databases come from a large number of disparate sources, there is a large variation in audio quality between audio files. Current file sharing applications offer no meaningful technique, other than bitrate values, as a guide to the audio quality of the file to be downloaded. Hence, a user, faced with multiple choices for each title searched, possesses no accurate measure by which to make an accurate choice of which file to download. Often, this dilemma results in the user having to first download a file, and then ascertain its audio quality by listening during playback. In many instances, a downloaded file may not meet a user""s personal audio quality criteria, thus requiring the user to re-download the same title from a different xe2x80x9cpeerxe2x80x9d in an effort to find the desired title with the desired audio quality. This trial and error approach is uncertain and time consuming. Moreover, it wastes bandwidth resources.
The present invention is therefore directed to the problem of providing an objective criteria by which a user can ascertain, prior to downloading, the audio quality of a file to be downloaded before the file is transferred from the Peer-to-Peer database to a user""s storage and playback system.
The present invention solves this and other problems by providing a method by which the audio quality of archived audio files in an Electronic Music Distribution database can be ascertained prior to downloading, either by the user requesting an audio file, or a user uploading an audio file to a database.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for searching an electronic music distribution database includes four steps. First, a database search is executed in response to a search query. Second, audio files corresponding to the search query are identified. Third, an audio quality evaluation protocol is executed on the identified audio files to generate audio quality data corresponding to the files. Fourth, the identified audio files are displayed along with their corresponding audio quality data.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above method the evaluation protocol comprises the Perceptual Evaluation of Audio Quality (PEAQ) evaluation method.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above method the audio quality data includes the Objective Difference Grade variable.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of evaluating audio files for archiving in a database includes three steps. First, at least one file is selected for evaluation. Second, an audio quality evaluation protocol is executed on the selected file to generate audio quality data corresponding to the audio file. Third, the selected audio file is archived along with the audio quality data.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above method, the evaluation protocol includes the PEAQ evaluation method.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above method, the audio quality data includes the Objective Difference Grade variable.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a device for evaluating the audio quality of an audio file includes a computer, which has an audio quality evaluation interface and the capability to communicate with an electronic music distribution database containing audio files. When instructed by a user, the interface performs an evaluation of one or more audio files in the database or in the P.C. of the subscriber uploading the file, and generates data corresponding to the audio quality of the files evaluated.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above device, the evaluation interface includes the capability to perform PEAQ measurements.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above device, the computer communicates with the database via a modem.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above device, the computer communicates with the database via a server.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above device, the data corresponding to the audio quality includes the Objective Difference Grade variable.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for retrieving audio files in an electronic music distribution database includes a server containing an archive of audio files and a computer, having an audio quality evaluation interface and the capability to communicate with the server. When instructed by a user of the computer, the server identifies one or more audio files. Once identified by the server, the files are then evaluated for audio quality by the evaluation interface. Based on this evaluation, the computer determines whether or not to retrieve the identified audio files.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above system, the audio quality interface includes the capability to perform PEAQ measurements.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above system, the instruction executed by the server includes a title, artist or genre search.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above system, the computer communicates with the server via modem.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above system, the computer communicates with the server via a Point-of-Presence server.